Season of Love
by LoveforPenandDerek
Summary: Story on hiatus. Morgan and Garcia. Their time has come.
1. Chapter 1

**Note-** _there will be a chapter that takes place after each episode during season seven. The chapters will show how an added scene or two that week could develop the friendship and love of Derek Morgan and Penelope Garcia_.

**Season of Love**

**Episode One**

**September 2011**

"It feels weird not sharing everything we're doing with the rest of the team," Penelope Garcia told her Derek Morgan as she sat across from him at his desk in the BAU. "This is our family. There shouldn't be secrets."

"Everyone has their secrets, baby girl. Even you."

She arched an eyebrow at him.

He sat back in his chair. "Are you ever gonna tell me the real deal behind why you and Lynch broke up?"

"I told you," she said, speaking a little too fast. "He wanted to live on a farm and I just can't see myself being cut off from civilization out in the woods with creepy crawlers creeping and crawling toward me in the dead of the night - and I do mean _dead._"

"Yeah, yeah, you told me about the whole farm thing but Lynch is still around. He hasn't moved anywhere. So there has got to be more to it." Derek leaned forward. His voice dropped slightly as he added "You know you can tell me anything, right? I'm not gonna put Lynch through a wall if he did something-"

"Sure you would, my big hunky protector, but he didn't. It's just that Kevin has always wanted more...more than working here in Quantico...more for us...and I was always the one shooting him down. I wouldn't move with him away from here. I wouldn't even move into his apartment with him even though mine is tiny and cramped. I treated him awfully-"

"Sweetheart, you were great to that guy. I saw you. You can't tell me different."

"I lied to him." She scrunched her nose. "An uber lot about big, big things. I told him I didn't believe in marriage and didn't want to have kids any time soon, if ever. I let him think it was because I lost my parents at such a young age but really...I just couldn't see myself marrying and having kids with Kevin. Even though I loved him. I kept thinking if I just could hang on a little longer...my feelings would change...but a year turned to three and...It was the only fair thing to do for him...to let him go. Maybe now we both can find a path to the road that will make us happier or, at least, he can be happy and I can try to not end up too big of a cat lady."

"Stop that." Derek reached out and took her hand. "Hey, you know I got your back, right? And I'm very proud of you for being strong enough to walk away from something you know wasn't going where you wanted it to go. You could have just told me all that months ago, though. You don't gotta keep it all inside and try to handle it on your own."

"I know but we've been focusing so much on catching Doyle. You need to keep your focus on that, not my personal problems."

"I've been consumed with this investigation but don't ever think that I don't have time if you need to talk. For you," he flashed her a sweet smile "I'll make the time."

Slowly her lips curved into a tender smile as she squeezed his hand back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Season of Love**

**Episode Two**

**September 2011**

"Hey, girl, we're gonna be wheel's up within the hour," Derek Morgan said into his cell phone as he stood at the police station.

"Very good, my love. I shall eagerly await the return of my crime fighting friends. Hey...how is Reid doing?"

Derek let out a sigh. "He'll come to terms with this in his own time. He's just not there yet."

"I hope he goes to Rossi's tommorow for dinner. I think it would be good for him to fill his head up with nice things about our team again instead of just the bloody gore you see each day out there. Same goes for you. Did you cross out _smoking hot date _on your schedule for tommorow night and put down _dinner with team_?"

He let out a low chuckle. "Oh, I don't remember you asking me out on any _smoking hot date _for tommorow? But if you did then Rossi can shove his pasta cause I got better things to do."

"If I asked you out on a smoking hot date I'd do it in such a way that the memory would burn into your brain, heart and body till you were tattooed inside and out with my name."

"You're so crazy. You know that, right?"

"I know." She chuckled. "So tommorow night...pick me up on your way? Because Esther has been doing this thing...like coughing...I think she's coming down with something."

"It's time to put her out of her misery already before you break down in rush hour traffic in that big beast and I might not even be in town to come pick you up when she finally gives up the ghost."

"Hush your beautiful lips! Esther is still in her prime! But I could use that ride, all the same."

"Yes, baby girl, anything for you. It will be worth going just to see Rossi's face when you turn your nose up at his pancetta."

"I'll eat around the pig. It has a face. You meat lovers can have my portion. The only meat I like comes in a much sexier package."

"I'm sure it does." Derek noticed that the team was starting to head outside to get into the SUVs and go to the airport. "We're heading out so I'll see you in a few hours."

"Okay...one more thing, I'm glad you're coming tommorow night because I know that it has hit you hard too with how the truth about Emily was kept from you. It bugs me too but then I look at her and all I can think is how much of a miracle it is. That's more important than being pissed about the way it was handled. In time the pain of that will fade but if Emily was really dead the pain of losing her would never fade. You feel me?"

Derek sighed. "You're right. I'm not okay with what Hotch did. I wouldn't have done it the same if I was him. But what is done is done. Sometimes you win and it still feels like you lost something. This is just one of those times."

"You have me still and always."

Derek smiled. "As long as I have my God given solace I got no reason to complain."

The call came to an end, leaving Penelope Garcia sitting in her office with a warm smile on her lips.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note-** _Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing. I usually prefer my stories to have longer chapters than this story will have but because of the nature of this fic, with it being just short scenes I wish I saw on CM each week, the chapters are going to be small._

**Season of Love**

**Episode 3**

**October 2011**

"I'll have Garcia run the plates," Derek Morgan said to his co-worker while working a case "and check for any recent accidents."

Walking down the tree lined street, to give himself some privacy, he then made the call. "Hey, sweetness, I need your magic fingers one more time."

"Ohhhhhh," she teased, her voice low and sultry, just how he liked it best, "with you it's always _just one more time, baby girl."_

"What can I say? You know how to keep me coming back for more."

"You ain't seen nothing yet. Lucky for you that your physique is in such uber excellent shape because I wouldn't wanna _break_ you."

Derek chuckled. "Don't you worry about that. Whatever you got I can more than handle. But first I need you to help me out by running a plate for me: out of Virginia, WLT dash 62X3."

"Too easy. When are you ever gonna give me something hard?"

"That is the million dollar question, woman. I've been dying to figure that one out myself."

Penelope giggled and told him about how the vehicle he was interested in researching had been in an accident a few days before.

XXXXXXXXXX

The whole ordeal lasted less than three minutes but during every second of it Penelope could barely breathe: watching an unsub hold a gun on her team- on her _baby boy_- and threaten to blow up the building.

When the team finally talked the unsub down, Penelope's shoulders slumped with relief. She hurried from the room, got on the elevator and when the doors opened on the BAU floor she rushed into Derek's waiting arms.

"Will he be okay?" she asked, worried about the mentally ill unsub.

"No. Afraid not."

She looked up and into Derek's eyes for a long moment, sad for the unsub and all the people who had died today but relieved that none of her team had been victims, and especially that the man who was holding her was still here to do so. "You have to quit making my heart stop like this."

"Never, pretty girl. Never," he said, shaking his head at her in a playful way before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

With his arm wrapped around her they started to walk off toward her office, together again at the end of another bad one.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note-**_ Usually when I post a story I have completely written it before I put up chapter one. With this story that would mean I would have to wait till next June to start posting so, for the first time in a long time, I will be writing as I go along. It makes it so I have no idea what is coming next in my own story._

_That being said this story will turn to romance at some point but I will have to see first how the episodes play out to make the best spot to move them from friends to lovers._

_Sara_

**Season of Love**

**Episode 4**

**October 2011**

There were definite perks to having Derek Morgan as a best friend. His arms alone were a very nice treat to hold a girl tight within their grasp and make her feel as if she was safe from the cold, cruel world with all the freak and freakettes that were in it.

Then there were his jokes, his laugh, and his smile, all three could brighten any bad day.

He might look like one of those hunky jocks who didn't have a sensitive bone in his body but that was far from true. He loved his sports- almost as much as she loved her computers and that was saying something- but he was one of the most sensitive men Penelope Garcia had ever known. Derek knew how a woman liked to be treated.

Always there with a shoulder rub, a steaming cup of coffee, a screwdriver to fix her computer or chair and kind words to lift her spirit. These days he had upped his game even more and was giving Penelope regular foot rubs after cases.

Like tonight.

They sat on his couch with her feet in his lap. It used to be that if they wanted to hang out after work they had to either go to a bar, the diner near work, or stay in his office watching a movie there because Kevin would not understand Penelope going to lounge around Derek's house long into the night. And Derek didn't like coming by her place because Kevin had a key and he might be there.

Things had always been slightly strained between the two men. Kevin let it show more than Derek ever did. Derek would laugh off the fact that Kevin was always so jealous over Derek and Penelope's friendship. So Penelope had thought that Derek really didn't want her that way.

Sure there had been many, many little moments when she thought maybe, just maybe (please God let it be true) Derek was interested in her but the moments always passed and Derek would quickly lose that certain look in his eye, going back to her joking, laughing, flirty just friend in the blink of an eye. But the months since Penelope had ended things with Kevin had made her wonder if Derek had ever been as okay with her and Kevin as Derek had acted.

Was he just loving the fact that his best girl, Garcia, was around more to hang out with or was he always wanting to be near her now because he trusted her more than anyone else in his life or could it be...?

Penelope was ignoring the TV in favor of giving Derek a dreamy look, while he rubbed her feet. As the show went to commercial his phone rang.

He grabbed it and frowned.

Her heart jumped into her throat. She knew his looks. That was not the typical 'Crap, we have another case already!" look. It was more personal.

Derek answered his phone by saying "Des?" and then Penelope watched as he pulled the phone away from his ear and shook his head in frustration. "I'm gonna get that kid! Oh, keep it up, Reid. Keep it up. We'll see who crushes who."

Penelope busted out laughing. Derek said into his phone "You should be ashamed of yourself, little sister! I'm gonna save my money and not get you a thing but a prank phone call for Christmas." Then he hung up.

He titled his head to the side and asked Penelope "What are you laughing at?" in a teasing tone. "One little joke and Reid is going postal on me. I can't believe you would help him too. What's up with that? Who do you love?"

"Hmmm, have you seen the jeans he's been wearing lately? They just hug his tight little ass perfectly and make mama go all warm in her form-"

"Garcia!" A definite growl was in his tone.

"You know I'm playing. It's you who is my noir knight and your tushie that is the tightest in all the land."

"That's better, woman," he said, with a playful smirk on his lips, as the TV show came back on.

Penelope moved her feet from his lap and scooted so she was laying her head on his chest. She yawned. "It's late. I should probably head home."

"Hush," he murmured, stroking her hair as they settled in for more TV watching and cuddling.

What could a girl do but listen when a guy like Derek Morgan spoke? Penelope wasn't one to hush for long but he was the only man who could get her to hush for even a little while.

She sighed happily as she tucked her feet under her and cuddled closer to her best friend, still wondering if just being best friends was all he wanted. And why, after all these years, she still couldn't stop thinking they should be more.

They would be so good together.


	5. Chapter 5

_Note- in this episode we see Rossi and Emily ask Garcia to search out 911 operators. Garcia tells them that there are a quarter of a billion 911 calls a year which equals around 1 every ten seconds. Next we see Garcia telling Derek he overheated her engines. This scene would take place between those two moments._

**Season of Love**

**Episode 5**

**October 2011**

She answered his call with "I can't go from zero to sixty if you keep putting on my brakes with your incessant calling. Seriously, it's been about two minutes and I know that usually all I need is two minutes but this time you're asking for the deluxe package and high end detailing takes a bit more time."

"Maybe I kept you up too late last night and you're not up to your usual superb standards today. Is that it, Garcia? Can't hang anymore?" he teased.

"Watch my dust," she teased back before hanging up on him.

The next time he called she let him know that he would have to make it up to her for getting her overheated this way.

XXXXXXXXXX

Garcia rambled on about the shoe sale as Derek unlocked the door of his house.

She said "And you can tag along to be my muscle."

"Those shoe sales get that rough?"

"You have no idea but that's not what I mean. I can get ten times as many shoes with you carrying my bags. And in this economy I really can't afford to leave any good deals behind on the shelves. It wouldn't be financially prudent."

Derek chuckled, while the walked inside the house, "Woman, you are crazy. There's no way I'm going to any shoe sale."

The door closed. Penelope said "I'm sure there is some way I can convince you," and then let out a throaty, sexy giggle.

"I just bet you could, Ms. Lamborghini."

The look they shared spoke of the way their friendship was changing more and more with every passing day. For the first few years that they knew each other there had been a distance between them. Even though they flirted like crazy, both of them had walls up.

Derek could come out in the middle of the night to soothe a trembling Penelope when she witnessed a teenager try to commit suicide, take her out for pancakes and make her tears dry but then she wouldn't invite him up to her apartment because it was letting him into her personal space.

If he wasn't going to be her man she was going to keep somewhat of a line that couldn't be crossed between them- despite Derek asking her to hang out many more times than she ever accepted, despite his drunken ramblings of wanting her body, despite the daily flirting and close friendship. He said way too many times "Any smart woman would know I ain't ready to settle down," for Penelope to feel like he wanted anything serious with her.

After she was shot their friendship deepened quickly. Maybe too quickly for her. He was there saying all the right things, doing all the right things, being Mr. Wonderful and she couldn't trust that it was about his feelings for her. So she threw herself deep into her next romantic relationship- convincing herself Kevin was perfect for her.

Yet she could never give up flirting with Derek. And as soon as things ended with Kevin the vibe between her and Derek intensified.

The last few months had brought them to this point where they flirted even more hardcore and spent most of their free time together.

Still they hadn't crossed that line. And she was getting antsy to find out if they would soon. But fear of what would come next held her back...so they walked this tightrope, hovering on the line of friendship and romance.

A tightrope they had mastered over the years. What Penelope 'Baby Girl' Garcia wanted most was to fall right off the rope and into the arms of her sexy stud best friend.


	6. Chapter 6

_Note- I wanted to watch episode eight (which was titled Hope) before I wrote more of this fic so I could gel everything together correctly. Since that episode aired last night I am now ready to move forward with my story. _

_Thank you for your patience and support._

**Season of Love**

**Episode 6**

**November 2011**

"Hotch rocket?" Derek Morgan joked into his cell phone, as he stood in a police station. "Hey, hey, hey, silly woman, you better watch that flirting. Your sexy comebacks are supposed to be reserved only for me."

"Hotch rocket isn't flirting," she teased back. "It's wordplay. And you know I am a master wordsmith wizard of the first order. No man, no matter how sexy and delicious, can stop my flow."

"Delicious, huh? How would you know that?"

"My imagination is a wicked, wicked place where you have been debauched throughly every day since I first laid eyes on your luscious Hot Stuff self."

"Is that so? And am I any good in your mind?"

Dropping her voice to a sexy, throaty drawl she answered "You are the best, my love." Then in a normal tone she asked "So what can I do you for today? What's your pleasure?"

"You. Always you."

She beamed at hearing that. "As you are mine but is there anything my magic fingers can do to make your life easier today?"

He let out a small sigh. "Not at the moment. I was just calling to check in on my girl."

She sat there- cheeks warms and a small, happy smiling playing on her lips- glad to hear that he missed her too.

XXXXXXXXX

Morgan and Garcia walked toward the elevators at the office. She asked, as she looped her arm through his, "So what's on our agenda this fine evening?"

Turning to look at her, he studied her face for a long moment. "We've been spending practically all our off time together lately."

She jumped back from him and started to talk really fast. "Oh, I didn't mean to assume we'd hang out together tonight. In fact, I have plenty of other things I need to get home and do. I'm trying out a new recipe for cookies to take to my survivor's group and there is a special on PBS about orphans in Uganda that I know will make me cry but I'm still strangely drawn to their plight anyway. So I have plenty on my agenda."

"Garcia, shush." Derek placed his fingers against her lips.

"Shushing," she said.

Moving his hand away from her mouth, he brushed her hair back. "What I was trying to say is...we've spent most of our spare time together for the last...I don't know...eight months or so now...and..."

"You want space. I'm crowding you. I get it. You're used to relaxing at your properties and doing your bike races and taking long rides on your motorcycle and sexing up gorgeous ladies and I'm cramping your style. It's okay. Say no more."

"You don't make it easy on a man, you know that?" he teased her, with an indulgent smile curving his lips as he stared at her warmly.

"I know." Her eyes searched his.

The elevator came and they walked on. He wrapped his arm around her back and whispered into her ear "I think the timing is just about perfect to take this up a notch. What do you say, pretty mama?"

She turned and looked into his eyes, a twinkle in hers, and it would have been clear to anyone watching that she whole heartedly agreed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Season of Love**

**Episode 7**

**November 2011**

"Oh hell no," Derek Morgan grumbled, from under the blankets, as he heard his cell phone go off with his boss's ring tone.

"Ignore it," Penelope panted, breathlessly, "and that is an order!"

Derek chuckled. The sound of them kissing filled the air before he tossed back the blanket and grabbed his phone off the night stand. After listening to the message he said "Damn it."

"That is not the curse word I was longing to hear come out of your mouth tonight."

Hovering over her, he brushed back her hair and said "Sorry. It looks like our last few days off have come to an abrupt end." Giving her a scorching kiss, he then whispered against her lips "At least we made the most out of them."

She giggled sexily. "You can say that again, stud."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"And I thought I was distracted," JJ said to Derek, as she found him staring off into space while sitting in a room at the police station.

Her voice jarred him out of his thoughts. "I was just thinking...this unsub might not be a focusing on teenagers because he is sexually attracted to them but instead because they remind him of himself at that age."

"Nice try but you weren't thinking about the case just now." She gave him a knowing smile.

He chuckled softly and cupped the back of his neck. "So you know why I'm distracted, what's up with you?"

"Long story and not nearly as happy as yours. I remember when I used to get lost in thoughts of Will too...God, that seems so long ago now."

"Remember, JJ, that even if it's hard it's worth it."

"I know. It just _is_ really hard sometimes...and I hate that...but all I can do is hang in there, right? For every fight, bad day and rough patch there is also those perfect days and nights that I wouldn't trade for anything. It all evens out in the end. At least I hope so."

"And you'd get bored quick if it was all roses and champagne anyway, right?"

JJ smiled a little. "Right." Looking at the board that had the victims from this case on it, she added "No chance of boredom setting in on this job, though, is there?"

"No chance of that."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Days later, Penelope was filled with anxiety because she hadn't been able to contact her team in hours. The phones and internet had all gone out after the most recent tornado.

When her phone finally rang she quickly answered it. "Morgan?"

"Hey, sweetheart, don't worry. We all made it through the storm. The unsub wasn't so lucky though."

"Oh my, okay, my heart can calm down now. Are my super crime fighting brigade heading back my way soon?"

"As soon as we get cleared for take off."

"Mother nature, be kind. I need my man back in my arms."

Derek chuckled. "And your man needs to be back in your arms. Trust that, baby girl."

Penelope smiled brightly at hearing those words. "I can't stop thinking about..."

"That was some first date, huh?"

"Hells yeah, it was."

They both grinned at the memory of the night that started with drinks after work, flirting hardcore the whole time, his hand on her thigh and then under her skirt, her taking his hand and pulling him outside into the crisp fall air, where they started to kiss.

It felt like they barely came up for airs for days after that.

After years of dancing around the idea of being together they both had almost given up on it ever happening. And then it did.

And now all she wanted was for him to come home so it could happen over and over again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Season of Love**

**Episode 8**

**November 2011**

"Never do that again," Derek murmured to Penelope, as he held her in his arms outside of the unsub's house. "I just got you...I can't lose you, today or ever. You feel me, woman?"

He pulled back some and looked down into her eyes- which were wet with tears after just seeing her friend Monica shoot a man- and gave her a tender look. Things between them had changed a lot in the last few days, leaving Derek filled with emotions that were hard to handle.

After so long of lusting after her, of being her best friend, of living with the knowledge that something more between them wouldn't work out (for reasons he made up for a long time, and then cause she had a boyfriend for years), it was now shocking but wonderful to be in this new place with her. It took them years of building up trust and faith before they finally crossed that thin line between love and friendship.

Now Derek never wanted to the cross back. He was ready to hang up his player card cause he couldn't imagine going back to being 'that guy' who hit on random chicks day and night. Not now, when he knew what being 'this guy', the one who had Penelope's love and got to be her man, was like.

This is the man he wanted to be for the rest of his life but it came along with a rush of even more powerful emotions than he had ever felt before. If it was last week and he saw Garcia with a gun pointed at her, he would have wanted to shoot the man dead who had dared tried it but this week he had wanted to do that and also to kiss her senseless just to convince himself that the love of his life was still alive.

Since they were at work, though, he couldn't do that. Instead he settled for taking her into a hug and squeezing her tight.

Leaning his forehead against hers, as his hands cupped her face, he said "You were very brave but you leave the brave field agent stuff to your man from now on."

"I just had to help Monica."

"I know, baby. I know. You did good." Derek wrapped her tight in his arms again. He could hold her like this for hours...days...months...years. She might drive him crazy with her stubborn head strong ways but he wouldn't ever want to change how she had such a big heart.

Even though that loving heart had led her through that door today...right into danger.

He would just have to work overtime to make sure that every time she was in danger- big or small- he had her back and brought her home safe to him at the end of the day. Cause that is right where she belonged.

Penelope might still be trying to figure out where they were going but Derek's heart was sure...all the way. He wouldn't be satisfied with anything less.


	9. Chapter 9

**Season of Love**

**Episode 9**

**December 2011**

"Looks like we're not gonna make our flight," Derek said, with a heavy sigh, as he walked into the library of the military academy, where Penelope had made herself a makeshift office for this case.

Glancing down at his watch, Derek added "We'll never make it to Dulles by 6 tonight at this rate."

"Already handled, baby boy. I re-booked us for ten pm tommorow night. Lets just hope we can make that one."

"Well, look at you, on top of everything like the super star that you are," he teased his girlfriend. "Don't suppose you already called my Mom and broke the news to her?"

"Sorry, Charlie, that's your job."

He gave her a puppy dog look. "But she won't yell at you and tell you to transfer to an office closer to Chicago so you can see her more than twice a year because she's not getting any younger, you know."

Penelope chuckled. "You are so lucky that I love you. Fine. I'll call your mother and tell her a case has us hung up. We better make it there by her birthday though or else no amount of sweet talking is gonna keep you outta hot water, Hot Stuff."

He cooed at her "Thank you, baby girl," as he pressed a kiss to her neck. "I'd be lost without you. You know that, right?"

"Oh so true. Oh so very true."

Derek smiled at Penelope, lost in the moment for a second, before he asked "Got anything on the reward system yet?"

"This place is a lot creepier than it appears at first glance. Like Oliver Twist spooky," she kept explaining to him the things her and Reid had discovered so far, as Derek hovered behind her, bent over the laptop, as he had so many times before in the past.

So many things were changing in their relationship lately but some things stayed just the same. At work they still had jobs to do but when they got away from work...that's when they got a chance to enjoy the love that was finally taking deep root between them.

Derek lived for those moments and little moments like this too...a stolen few minutes together during the work day. Being near Penelope is all it took for him to feel like his life was complete.

All those old fears about commitment and fidelity had faded away in the moment when they first kissed. It had taken so many years to get this far for them but it was well worth the wait to Derek. Because now he knew better than to think this was just some fling with a hot blonde. He knew this was another day spent in love with the woman he would be in love with for all the rest of his life.


	10. Chapter 10

_Note- This episode had Hotch scenes at the beginning and the end, so no room for Morgan and Garcia during those times. Instead I did a phone call in the middle of the episode for my added scene._

**Season of Love**

**Episode 10**

**December 2011**

"You've reached the Love Goddess. How can I serve you, master?"

Derek chuckled at the way his girlfriend answered her phone. "I got some ideas but you're gonna have to cool your jets till I get back home and we can get down to the _good_ stuff."

Instead of throwing back a flirty retort she lowered her voice and asked, conspiratorially, "Are we on speaker?"

"Uh, no."

"Good!" she cried, eager to gossip more about how Hotch may have found a woman he could be interested in dating. "So what have you learned about the whole Boss Man Love Jones situation? I am so in need of an update."

Derek smirked. "Well that's just too bad cause I got nothing for ya on that front."

"Oh, you disappoint me so. You are supposed to be a world renowned profiler! Do your thing and weasel it outta him. I must know the 411 about this possible new lady love."

"Listen up, you need to butt your pretty little nose_ out of it_ unless you want Hotch butting his into _your_ love life right back."

"As a friend or as my supervisor? Because as a friend, I have no problem with sharing all the dirty details-"

"Don't you dare, woman."

Penelope giggled. "Okay, maybe not _all_ the dirty details. Speaking of...that oil we got on my sheets will probably never come out but it was so, sooooooo worth it. Still you owe mama a new set- purple silk, you know how I do."

Derek chuckled. "I will get right on that."

Just then Hotch, Rossi and Emily came walking over to where Derek was perched on the edge of a desk in the police station.

Hotch asked Rossi "So you think he's a boxer?"

"I gotta go, baby girl," Derek said into the phone, quickly hanging up and joining the conversation with his teammates.

As much as he had enjoyed sneaking in a flirty chat with her, it was time to get back to work. But when he got home it would be time to get down to play.


	11. Chapter 11

**Season of Love**

**Episode 11**

**January 2012**

"Have Reid and Prentiss meet us in San Francisco," Hotch ordered Garcia, as he stood up from the table after their team briefing.

"Yes, sir," she answered.

When the other members of the team filed out, Morgan hung back for a moment, going slow in gathering up his paperwork so he could have just a few more seconds to be near his girlfriend. The last couple of months- when they had been dating- had been, bar none, the best of his life.

A part of him had always known he should settle down with that woman but fear and shame had been stronger than desire for way too long- leaving her wondering what was wrong with her that he didn't want her enough to give up his player ways. But it had always been more complicated than that.

He had feared real emotional intimacy. Feared anyone knowing him so well that they found out he wasn't just the hot, funny, smart, accomplished man who had looks and charm overflowing. That deep inside he was dark, damaged in ways that would never heal completely. The fear was driven by shame. The shame of knowing he had left other young boys back in Chicago to endure the abuse he had escaped.

It was different with other women who Derek had dated. He didn't even try to get to that deep level with them where they might know all his demons, see all his faults, get under his mask. With Penelope though there was always this deeper connection that, even years before he could come to terms with it, had hinted to him that he shouldn't go there with her unless he was ready to step up and be a better man.

For the longest time he wrote it off to excuses: we work together, she's too good for me, she's too smart to get with a player, she only likes to flirt with me and doesn't want more anyway. It took him years to admit to himself how damn much he was crazy about her.

Years he had wasted being caught up in fears, shame, and self doubt. Years that they could never get back. Even more years gone because she fell for Lynch.

So much time wasted.

But there was still plenty of time left for them. He had to believe that. Believe that he would make it home from this case and be in her loving arms again.

She caught his gaze, as it lingered on her. With a wink, she told him "Mama will give her boy a reward when he comes home," before she sashayed out of the room.

Derek chuckled beneath his breath as he shook his head at her silliness. She always gave him something to look forward to coming home to.


End file.
